


Monsters

by TheLonelyGhost



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Science Bros, Werewolf Tony Stark, Werewolf Turning, tactile tony stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-29 00:23:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17192990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLonelyGhost/pseuds/TheLonelyGhost
Summary: Tony could suddenlysmellBruce and he looked up with wide eyes to see the man entering the Hulk-proof cell. Bruce rushed over to him, putting a hand on either side of his face."Your eyes are gold…" he whispered."You n-need to get-" Tony cried out again, clawing at the smooth floor beneath his hands. "–g-get out!"He was panting now and dripping with sweat."Tony, what are you turning into?""Werewolf," was the last thing Tony was able to say before he started screaming again.





	Monsters

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this just after Age of Ultron came out, so it's not compliant with anything beyond that. It's also why there's a tiny bit of Bruce/Nat going on. If I remember correctly (from three bloody years ago, jeez, could I write any slower?), I was inspired by Tony's (heartbreaking) line in AoU - "We're monsters, buddy. We gotta own it."

Tony has slept with a wide variety of people throughout his life. And yeah, some of his hook-ups have maybe been somewhat ill-advised, but none of them had resulted in anything quite as life-changing as this. And all because his one-night-stand had gotten a little bitey in the bedroom.

“ _Doctor Banner is on his way, Boss,_ ” FRIDAY tells him.

“Thanks, Fri,” Tony responds. He is so thankful that Bruce had returned to live in the Tower again after his little post-Ultron vacation, at least for a while. When the elevator doors finally open and Bruce steps out, he looks more than a little puzzled to see Tony standing in the middle of the Hulk-proof room, completely naked. He glances away, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

“Uh, Tony? What are you doing in there?”

“Hey, Brucie. So, ah… I’m pretty sure something’s gonna happen to me tonight when the moon comes up. I might become a little dangerous. I called you here–” _because I’m kind of terrified and I don’t want to be alone for this_ “–because… I guess I thought at least one person should know what’s happened to me and I kinda figured that out of everyone you’d probably be the most… understanding.”

Bruce looks back at him, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

“What do you mean something’s going to happen to you, Tony?” he asks.

Tony has no idea how to explain without making Bruce think he’s crazy or that this is some kind of elaborate joke. He hardly believed it himself. But his hope that this isn’t really happening is quickly being drowned out by the feeling of… _something_ building up inside of him.

“Tony–”

“Maybe it’s better if you just see for yourself.”

“Or… you could tell me now?”

Tony shakes his head.

“You wouldn’t believe me.”

“You’re talking to a guy who turns big and green when he gets angry. We’ve fought off an alien invasion. We’ve met two actual Norse Gods. _Try me_.”

“Does it hurt?” Tony asked weakly.

“What?”

“When you change into the Hulk. Is it painful?” Tony’s heartbeat was quickening. The moon had almost risen. He could _feel_ it.

“I don’t usually feel much of anything… apart from the rage.”

Tony nodded absently and looked away. He wasn’t sure how similar his change would be to Bruce’s, but he’d just been looking for any kind of assurance.

“You think you’re going to change,” Bruce said. Tony looked back up at him.

“Yeah.”

“Into what?”

“ _Boss, the moon–_ “

Tony didn’t hear the rest of what FRIDAY said because at that moment, a terrible pain shot through his body, bringing him to his knees with a scream.

He distantly thought he heard Bruce calling his name, but he couldn’t bring himself to respond. Another pained cry was ripped from him, his back arching before he fell forward onto his hands. He could hear the horrific sound of his bones cracking and reforming.

Tony could suddenly _smell_ Bruce and he looked up with wide eyes to see the man entering the Hulk-proof cell. Bruce rushed over to him, putting a hand on either side of his face.

“Your eyes are gold…” he whispered.

“You n-need to get–“ Tony cried out again, clawing at the smooth floor beneath his hands. “–g-get out!”

He was panting now and dripping with sweat.

“Tony, what are you turning into?”

“Werewolf,” was the last thing Tony was able to say before he started screaming again.

 

*****

 

Bruce backed away a little from Tony but kept close. He winced at the sounds his friend was making; it was hard for him to just sit there and do nothing while Tony was in such pain. But there was no calming this beast. From what he knew of werewolves, or what he thought he knew from lore and fiction, this change was happening no matter what.

Thick brown fur slowly spilled out from Tony’s skin all over his body. His hands and feet extended into vicious claws. His ears grew pointed and moved higher up on his head at the same time that the lower half of his face extended into a muzzle. His snarling mouth was now full of sharp teeth and Tony’s screams turned to growls.

When the transformation was finally complete, werewolf-Tony stood up on his hind legs, looking right at him and emitting a low growl. Bruce calmly stood his ground. It had been a long time since he’d last feared for his own life.

“Tony? You in there somewhere?” he asked. He couldn’t help but think to himself if this must be what it’s like for others to speak to the Other Guy, wondering how much of Bruce was still conscious and present. For him, he only remembered flashes of his time as the Hulk. He was usually so overwhelmed with rage, he just lost control. Though the circumstances of his change mattered – he found that willing changes were much less intense. Maybe he and Tony could exchange notes about their respective transformations in the morning.

But this was not the time to play excited scientist. Not when there was a large werewolf slowly coming closer, teeth bared.

With a sigh, Bruce let go and allowed himself to feel the anger that was constantly lingering beneath the surface. He changed quickly and smoothly, tearing his shirt and pants as he grew, his skin turning green. The werewolf before him suddenly looked much smaller.

Tony leapt back with a yelp, getting low to the ground with ears pressed back and his tail between his legs. Hulk was vaguely satisfied by this show of submission.

When Tony gingerly made his way towards him, rolling onto his back and showing his belly, Hulk sat down, reaching a large green hand towards him. He huffed when Tony started licking Hulk’s fingers.

 

*****

 

When Bruce next woke, he found himself sitting in the corner of the Hulk-proof room, leaning up against the wall. He was wearing nothing but the stretchy pants Tony had made for him, which wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was the fact that Tony was naked and asleep with his head in Bruce’s lap and his arms wrapped around his waist.

Bruce was suddenly very thankful for the stretchy pants.

Someone cleared their throat and Bruce looked up suddenly with a start. Natasha was standing on the other side of the glass, arms crossed over her chest and her head tilted to the side.

“Should I be jealous?” she asked in that blank voice of hers. Bruce immediately became flustered.

“Uh, we didn’t… I mean–”

Nat smiled.

“Relax, Banner. I caught some of the show. I know what happened,” she told him. “The Other Guy really seems to like his new puppy.”

Bruce huffed a laugh, looking down at his friend.

“I take it this was his first change?” Nat asked.

“Looks like, yeah.”

“Any idea who infected him?”

Bruce shook his head.

“Tony called me in at the last minute. We didn’t exactly have a lot of time to talk before he turned.” Bruce looked back up at Nat with an amused smile. “You know, I think it really says something about our lives that we’re able to casually discuss one of our friends turning into a werewolf without freaking out.”

Nat shrugged.

“This isn’t my first encounter with a creature of supernatural origin. I’ve fought vampires before. It isn’t all that surprising to me that werewolves are real too.”

Bruce’s eyebrows migrated up into his hairline.

Vampires are real. _Good to know_.

Nat looked amused at whatever expression she was seeing on his face, as she picked up a bag from the floor by her feet and opened the door to the Hulk-proof room.

“I brought you your usual post-Hulk-out kit, plus some clothes for Stark,” she said as she walked over, setting the bag down next to Bruce.

“Thanks Tasha.”

“No problem. I’ll leave you boys to it.” With that, she walked on out again towards the elevator.

Before she left entirely, Bruce called out to her.

“Wait, Nat? Does… anyone else know?”

“I haven’t told anyone. I’ll leave that up to Tony. When he’s ready,” she said over her shoulder.

Bruce nodded in thanks and Nat stepped into the elevator, the doors closing behind her. As soon as she was out of sight there was a groan from the vicinity of his lap.

“Ugh, that’s not gonna be pleasant,” Tony grumbled, turning his face further into Bruce’s thigh and tightening his grip around Bruce’s waist.

“Tony, you know I’m not a pillow, right?”

“But you’re so _comfortable_ ,” he whined.

Bruce let out an exasperated sigh.

“Tony… how did this happen?”

Tony opened his eyes, but kept staring straight ahead. He hesitated before speaking.

“Short version? I slept with someone. She bit me when she climaxed. The next morning I wake up and she’s staring at the bite mark in horror, apologizing over and over again. I told her it wasn’t a big deal, but then she informed me that she was a werewolf and now I was too. Then she just ran out.”

“And you didn’t think to tell anybody sooner?”

Tony rolled over so he was lying on his back, unconcerned by his nudity, his head still resting on Bruce’s thigh.

“I didn’t believe it myself, Bruce! Not until the full moon came around and I started feeling… I don’t know, it was like…”

“Like something building up inside of you. Something powerful and angry and uncontrollable. It itches at your skin until you can’t stand it anymore and it feels like it’s going to explode out of you. And you have this urge deep down to just let go, to let it take over, but you’re afraid that if you do you won’t be you anymore. That you’ll be a monster.”

Tony looked at him with a sad smile.

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

Bruce almost smiles back, but then it turns into a grimace as a wave of guilt washes over him and he sighs, dropping his head into his hands.

“Hey, what’s up?” Tony asked, concern in his voice.

“Nothing. It’s… I’m fine,” Bruce lies.

“It’s clearly not nothing. Come on, spit it out.”

“I just… I had a second there where I actually felt… glad that this happened to you. And I _shouldn’t!_ You’ve been cursed and here I am, feeling happy that I have someone I can relate to now.”

Tony lifted his head off Bruce’s lap to sit up in front of him, facing him with his legs crossed.

“Bruce, look at me.”

Bruce shakes his head in his hands.

“C’mon Brucie,” he coaxed. Bruce finally relents, looking hesitantly up at his friend’s face. He’s surprised to find that Tony is smiling warmly. “It’s okay for you to take something positive out of this shitshow. I mean, to be perfectly honest, I’m pretty damn thankful to know someone who’s in a similar kind of boat as me. If I’d had to go through this alone… That would’ve _sucked_. And I would probably be freaking out a lot more right now.” Tony reaches out and puts a hand on the side of his head, fingers curling around into his hair. “So thank you. To you and the Other Guy.”

Bruce was rendered speechless by the incredible warmth and acceptance that he felt in that moment. He smiled at Tony, reaching out to grab the other man’s spare hand and give it a squeeze. Tony’s smile widens into a grin.

“What do you say we get some breakfast? I don’t know about you, but I’m so hungry I feel like I could eat several horses.”

Bruce chuckled.

“Yeah, I know the feeling.”

Tony quickly ducked forward, planting a kiss on Bruce’s cheek.


End file.
